During my daily ritual of scanning the various newspapers throughout the US, I came across a wonderful book review by Herbert London of Fred Siegel's The Prince of the City: Giuliani, New York, and the Genius of American Life in The Washington Examiner. As you know from previous posts, I'm a big fan of Rudy and the policies that he used to turn New York City away from disaster. For anyone who hasn't had the inkling to discover the many gifts of this Giant of Gotham, Spiegel's The Prince of the City is a good starting place and is an excellent book to crack open this summer. Here's a taste of London's review:
Giuliani didn't arrive on a white horse to save the city. As Fred Siegel points out in this brilliant biography, there was great apprehension about the special prosecutor who had not held previous elected office. He didn't accept criticism gracefully. He demanded the spotlight. He was contentious and arrogant.So head to the bookstore, Amazon or anywhere that sells books and get this book while the Summer is young.
Yet he was also effective and thoughtful. As with many public figures, he was and remains a bundle of contradictions. He is the embodiment of New York: electric and daring, hopeful and aggressive.
Whatever the formula, Giuliani made New York work. Under his leadership, Times Square transformed from a district of iniquity into a stable family-friendly zone. As one sex hustler noted, with Giuliani there was "more police and less money. ... Makes you wanna get a regular job."
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